Polydium Building’s Technical Notice : the building's structure was ''in poor condition''

The report from the structural engineering firm tasked with assessing the Polydium building in Châteauguay last fall was unequivocal: "the only intervention to be considered for the building is its complete demolition," it wrote on December 1st. Le Soleil de Châteauguay requested and obtained this document under the Access to Information Act. It was on the basis of this report that the City decided to quickly demolish the building.

English revision by Amanda Bennett

In this report, it is revealed that the firm Consultants STRUXAR visited the site on November 21st, four days after the emergency closure of the facility, which housed an indoor pool and a training center.

A lot of corrosion

"Many worrisome signs of corrosion were observed at the level of the steel decking of the roof, steel intermediates, as well as steel column anchor plates," writes engineer Maxime Poirier in his technical review. He also mentions seeing droplets of water falling from the ceiling to the ground.

By also consulting studies and reports from inspections and interventions in recent years, the engineer concludes that the corrosion observed in several areas in the building increased the risk of serious consequences in the event of wind and earthquakes: possibility of detachment of the roof and exterior walls, collapse of the building, and subsidence of the base of the columns.

Maxime Poirier recommended that the building no longer be occupied and that attempts to extend its useful life through various works or interventions should not be made. "Such interventions would involve major costs and the investment would not ensure the sustainability of the building," he notes.

The City of Châteauguay announced its demolition on December 7th, and the building was razed in early January. The city is working with Régie Beau-Château on a new indoor pool project. The Régie will issue a request for proporsals on the subject in May.